Blantyre, 23 July, 2025 / 4:20 pm (ACI Africa).
As the Church prepares for the 5th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly scheduled for Sunday, July 27, members of the Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB) have directed Parishes in the Southern African nation to celebrate Holy Masses with the elderly to mark the day “meaningfully.”
In a statement ahead of the celebration to mark the event that the late Pope Francis established in 2021, the Bishops in Malawi also urge parishes and other church institutions to visit the elderly who live in solitude.
“To mark this day meaningfully, parishes and church institutions are encouraged to celebrate Mass with the elderly members of their communities and to visit those who live in solitude,” MCCB members say in reference to the event celebrated annually on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.
In the statement dated Tuesday, July 22, the Catholic Bishops in Malawi describe the elderly as “permanent protagonists in the life and pastoral care of the Church,” whose attention to their needs must be a daily commitment.”
Pope Francis launched the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on 31 January 2021 during the Angelus. This year’s event, to be celebrated under the theme, “blessed are those who have not lost hope,” from the book of Sirach, is the 5th of its kind.
